Zigong Dinosaur Museum is located in Dashanpu, the northeastern part of Zigong City, Sichuan Province, China. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a national first-class museum, and a key museum in Sichuan Province. Built on the "Dashanpu Dinosaur Fossil Group Site", it is China's first professional dinosaur museum and one of the three major dinosaur site museums in the world. The museum covers an area of more than 70,000 square meters, with the main exhibition hall covering a construction area of 6,600 square meters and an exhibition area of 4,600 square meters. The building's appearance resembles a lying giant dinosaur, with two floors inside. The museum houses the largest number of the most complete dinosaur fossils in the world, possessing extremely high scientific research value and ornamental value.
History and Culture
In 1972, the Dashanpu dinosaur fossil group site was discovered, and the first excavation was carried out in 1977. In 1979, a large number of fossils were exposed due to infrastructure construction. In 1980, several vice chairmen of the Zigong Association for Science and Technology jointly published the Emergency Appeal for the Immediate Protection of the Rare Zigong Dinosaur Fossil Stratum and the Establishment of a Natural Museum, attracting the attention of relevant departments. In 1982, the State Planning Commission approved the construction of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum and allocated 2 million yuan. In 1983, the foundation project of the museum started, the main hall was completed in 1985, and the auxiliary projects were finished in 1986. The museum opened for trial exhibition during the Spring Festival of 1986 and was officially open to the public during the Spring Festival of 1987. In 2001, it was named a National Geopark and underwent renovation and expansion. In 2008, Zigong City successfully applied for the UNESCO Global Geopark with the Zigong Dinosaur Museum as the core park.
Main Attractions
Dinosaur World Hall
Adopting modern popular ecological display, 21 dinosaurs of different sizes, species, and shapes are shaped and combined according to their different physiological and living characteristics, forming groups of ecological group sculptures that are both interrelated and independent. With simulated environments, visitors feel as if they are in the Jurassic kingdom.
Dinosaur Site Hall
With a total area of nearly 1,500 square meters, it is by far the largest fossil burial site available for viewing in the world. Representative fossil exhibits include the skeleton of Datousaurus bashanensis, which is about 12 meters long. Human figures of excavators are set up on the site to restore the excavation scene.
Exhibition Hall of Animals and Plants in the Dinosaur Era
By presenting fossils of other Mesozoic animals and plants, it restores a biodiverse system of the dinosaur era, focusing on introducing some animals and plants that lived alongside dinosaurs, including fish, birds, reptiles, plants, insects, etc. These fossils provide important evidence for the study of dinosaurs and the entire biological evolution history.
Dinosaur Fossil Treasures Exhibition Hall
It displays some national treasure-level fossil treasures with extremely high scientific value and complete preservation, reflecting the rich "heritage" of fossil resources in the "Hometown of Dinosaurs" from one side.
Dinosaur Exploration Hall
Built on the newly discovered dinosaur fossil site in the museum park, the basic exhibition is themed "The Age of Giants on Rocks", with a construction area of 3,334 square meters, including four units: "Dinosaur Rise", "Prehistoric Overlord", "Empire Fall", and "Dinosaur Flight".
Special Exhibition Area of "Diseased" Paleontology
Relying on the latest paleopathological research results of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, it brings together more than 300 paleontological fossil specimens collected at home and abroad, including 32 paleopathological fossil specimens and 18 rare specimens. The exhibition adopts from the perspective of "diagnosing" paleontology. From the perspective of modern medicine, the exhibition content is divided into popular science special exhibitions such as emergency space and orthopedic space.
Food
Cold-Eaten Rabbit
A characteristic food of Zigong, the rabbit meat is cut into small pieces, marinated with various spices and chili peppers, and then fried or stir-fried. It has a spicy and fresh taste, and the rabbit meat is firm and chewy. It can be used as a snack or side dish for drinks.
Fresh Pot Rabbit
With rabbit meat as the main ingredient, it is quickly stir-fried in a pot with various fresh vegetables and chili peppers. The rabbit meat is tender, the soup is rich, the taste is spicy and mellow, and it is very suitable for eating with rice.
Da'an Braised Beef
A characteristic food of Da'an District, the beef is stewed to be very tasty, with tender and juicy meat. It is paired with soft potatoes, radishes, and other vegetables. The soup is rich and fragrant.
Fushun Meat Tofu
A traditional food in Fushun area, it uses tofu and various meat dishes as the main raw materials, such as crispy meat, meatballs, sliced meat, etc., plus a special soup base. It is delicious and nutritious.
Tickets
The ticket price is 40 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "自贡恐龙博物馆" on WeChat to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are 8:30—17:30, and ticket sales stop at 17:00. Subject to the actual opening hours of the scenic area.
The museum issued a closure notice on April 29, 2025, and will officially close on May 10, 2025. The specific reopening time will be announced later. Please get the latest news from the official public account.
Tour Route
You can first visit Longshan and overlook the Dinosaur Site Hall from Longshan; then visit the Dinosaur Site Hall, which has an exhibition area of 3,600 square meters. The basic exhibition is "The Magical Jurassic World", including six exhibition parts: the foyer, Dinosaur World, Dinosaur Site, Central Hall, Animals and Plants in the Dinosaur Era, and the Treasures Hall; then go to the Dinosaur Exploration Hall to learn about the rise, dominance, and fall of dinosaurs; then go to the special exhibition area of "Diseased" Paleontology to understand paleontology from the perspective of modern medicine; finally, you can see the fossil of Omeisaurus jiaoshi, a large long-necked sauropod dinosaur unique to Zigong during the Middle Jurassic, with a body length of 23 meters, which is the largest individual dinosaur found in Dashanpu so far.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take city buses in Zigong to the Dinosaur Museum Station. The specific bus routes include No. 35, No. 306, etc.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Zigong, you can reach the museum via Shenghai Well Road, East Yandu Avenue, etc. Set the navigation to "Zigong Dinosaur Museum".
Must-See Attractions
- Dinosaur Site Hall: The largest fossil burial site available for viewing in the world, where you can see a large number of precious dinosaur fossils and feel the shock of the dinosaur era.
- Dinosaur World Hall: A realistic ecological display that seems to take visitors into the living scene of Jurassic dinosaurs.
Tour Tips
- It is recommended to arrive at the scenic area early to avoid the peak tourist period for a better visit experience.
- You can rent a interpreter or follow the tour guide team of the scenic area to have a deeper understanding of dinosaur knowledge and the history and culture of the museum.
- Pay attention to protecting the exhibits and do not touch the fossils when visiting.
Notes
- Abide by the regulations of the scenic area and do not make loud noises in the museum.
- The lighting in the museum is dim. Please pay attention to foot safety when visiting.
- If you bring children, take good care of them to prevent them from running and playing, which may affect other visitors.